“What you’re doing now, or have done in the past, need not determine what you can do next and in the future.” 

— Ken Robinson

Our Story

Templestowe College has been operating since 1994, but our current story really starts in October, 2009 when the school took on a whole new direction. The school had not moved with the times and student numbers had fallen from 1000 students to a tiny 286 students. With just 23 year sevens there was a serious threat of the school being closed.

The College Council and a group of committed staff and students decided on a complete change in focus. Rather than remaining just another traditional school, Templestowe College would embrace its smaller size and become experts in personalised learning. TC as we now call it, was born.

Interest from students and their parents who were feeling lost or dissatisfied with the current education system and wanting to explore a new style of education, saw numbers start to climb. Following a strategic review in 2013, TC moved towards individualised learning, and by 2015 we dropped all reference to year levels, and now all students Take Control of their learning by selecting 100% of their course load from more than 150 electives as part of their Individualised Learning Plan (ILP) once the basic literacy and numeracy is established.

What is the environment like?Whilst our buildings are not all new they are clean and well maintained, but it's the interpersonal environment and learning freedom that sets TC apart. Respect is very important to us, and regardless of whether you are in the entry class, a graduate, a staff member or the Principal we are all deserving of equal respect. We call this the One-Person Policy. Visitors to the school often remark about how calm the atmosphere is and how the majority of students and staff are so focused on what they are doing. Because students have the ability to study what they are interested in, our in-class behaviour is quite different from most schools. Our Two-Minute Rule means that any student disrupting the learning environment for more than 2 minutes is asked (not yelled at) to leave, and our no-work-no-stay policy ensures that only those students who actively working remain in the room. We like our learning spaces to be full of purposeful activity, and we are trying to move away from students simply sitting at a desk listening to the teacher.There is a zero tolerance of bullying, smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs and violence of any sort. Most importantly we want you to feel in control of your learning, and that when you reflect back on your time at TC that you see it as having been engaging, challenging and enjoyable.